I'VE heard many people say we must listen to those people who voted for UKIP and learn lessons from them having switched their support from the mainstream parties.

I disagree with that wholeheartedly and I am heartened by the fact that the majority of voters have not fallen for their simplistic propaganda in Hull.

I will continue to argue for the benefits of a multicultural, inclusive and tolerant society, not the closed and intolerant vision of UKIP, for continued active membership of the EU, something that has brought significant benefits to the UK overall and especially to our city, and for all that goes with that, certainly the free movement of labour, the ability of all EU citizens to live and work wherever they want to and can within the union.

In Hull, over the past ten or more years, an influx of European migrants has brought significant economic and cultural benefits to a city that, for too long, had begun to turn inwards on itself, as indeed have new citizens from many other parts of the world who have sought refuge in a country still renowned for its tolerance and commitment to human rights. We see daily in the events in Ukraine the dangers to the whole of Europe of adopting a narrow nationalistic and xenophobic attitude to "others", people who, in truth, are our close cousins, who share a common European history and culture with us who are native to these islands.

I have great faith that the majority of my fellow citizens will continue to support these values which are truly British and the culture of fear that UKIP, like the BNP before it, seeks to spread, will ultimately fail.

• This article was published in the First Person opinion section of the Mail on Saturday, May 24.

51 comments

Four years ago in Rochdale, Gillian Duffy challenged Gordon Brown on immigration, the affronted prime minister shied away and muttered darkly about that "bigoted woman". It is quite clear now who was the bigot. Brown was typical of a political class that became shamefully biased against its own people. In thrall to a post-war European ideal, they had scant interest in the difficulties and discomfort it caused ordinary people on the ground. If anyone complained, simply shut them up by hissing "bigot" or "racist".
A plasterer out of work because Poles living five to a room undercut him? Little Englander!
A mother-of-three hit by the child-benefit cuts, which come into force next week, and expressing disbelief that the UK is still sending £30 million in benefits to the kids of EU workers, who aren't even living here? Sorry, nothing we can do about it, madam. It's all for the greater European good, you know. Do be quiet.
A teacher hounded from a school by Islamist hardliners who want girls and boys segregated and treated in a way that is anathema to British values? Racist!
Disgusted at countless male, Muslim grooming gangs treating vulnerable white girls like "chewing gum thrown in the street"? Racist!
Fed up with being required to show cultural sensitivity to customs we find morally repugnant, and getting no cultural sensitivity in return? Racist!

Via The Guardian-Tony Blair: "It would be foolish if Britain's main parties did'nt worry about UKIP topping a national election in Britain"
http://tinyurl.com/nytholf
Now who should I have any belief, trust or respect in here; Bliar or Colin Inglis?! What some may call a dilemma! Albeit a fleeting one!! ;-)

SEE INGLIS IS STILL SUFFERING FROM VERBAL "CLEGGOREAH" AS WELL EH - SAFE SEAT SYNDROME AT ITS VERY VERY BEST - AND ANOTHER PATRONISING COMMENT ABOUT ELECTORS BY IMPLYING WE ARE ONLY JUST REALISING WHAT POLITICS ARE ABOUT " people like me came into politics to further deeply held beliefs ......... not just the last few months like many of you because something has got under our skin,"(YEAH CAREER POLITICIANS POLICYS AND ATTITUDE AMONG THEM) DEAR ME - COLIN -YOU REALLY DO PUT YOURSELF UP THERE DONT YOU? AFTER YOUR "THE ONLY SENSIBLE VOTERS ARE LABOUR VOTERS " NOW THIS , HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN YOU ARE ONLY A MOUTHPIECE FOR THE ELECTORATE ? NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS- AND IN AN ULTRA SAFE SEAT IN A STRONGHOLD CITY?- AND THE BEST BIT OF ALL YOU SAY " the UKIP position is plain wrong, its xenophobic little England nonsense" THERES THE THING COLIN - THE KEY WORD , ENGLAND, PEOPLE VOTE FOR POLITICIANS TO SERVE IN AN ENGLISH PARLIAMENT THE ENGLISH PEOPLE - LAST NIGHTS RESULTS WERE ABOUT THE ENGLISH PEOPLE VOTING FOR THEIR VOICE IN THE EEU "PARLIAMENT" - AND YOUR MOB GOT WHIPPED- THE TORYS GOT A KICKING AND LIB DEMS SLAUGHTERED , WHY??? BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR PARTYS DELUDED UNITED STATES OF EUROPE VISION IS ON THE WANE, PEOPLE HAVE WOKEN UP TO THE CAREER POLITICIANS AND THEIR CASH COW POLICYS - IT WONT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT BUT IT WILL HAPPEN. WHY ? BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE STILL HAVE NATIONAL PRIDE IN THEIR COUNTRY (OTHER NATIONS AS WELL AS THE UK AND ENGLAND) RATHER THAN A VISION OF A SAFE SEAT FOR 40 YEARS DRESSED UP AS THE ONLY PERSON WHO UNDERSTANDS WHATS GOING ON ..... UNLIKE US WHO ONLY TAKE NOTICE OR CLAIM TO UNDERSTAND POLITICS WHEN SOMETHING GETS "UNDER OUR SKIN" . IM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR COUNTRY , LEFT ALMOST BANKRUPT BY THE LAST LABOUR GOVERNMENT,SENDING 55MILLION A DAY TO THE EEU QUANGO AND THE UN-ADDRESSED STRAIN ON OUR HOUSING, NHS, SCHOOLS AND OTHER SERVICES THAN ANY VISIONS OF XENOPHOBIA.

I see we have a few inflamed Kippers, only to be expected, fooling yourselves that you've achieved something significant when sadly the Apathy Party won both the Local and European elections. On the latter maybe one in ten voters supported you across England in a classic protest vote, in London Scotland and Wales it was far less than that, so any pretence to speak for "the British people" is just that, a pretence.
What you also need to understand is that people like me came into politics to further deeply held beliefs and have been doing so for some forty years now, not just the last few months like many of you because something has got under our skin, its highly unlikely that those beliefs will be blown away because a few, a minority of people disagree with them. In fact even if the overwhelming majority disagreed I'd still see it as my role to persuade them. I'm not a "Focus Group" politician, never have been and never will be, so get over it.....the UKIP position is plain wrong, its xenophobic little England nonsense masking a right-wing agenda, even worse than the Tories and I and my colleagues will do our level best to expose that.

Oh please do me a favour with your thumbs down?! Even Scunthorpe MP Nic Dakin's endorsement as a 2011 NLC Labour candidate and his former case worker has at long last cottoned onto the deceit, calibre and credibility of Labour's luvvies: https://twitter.com/_Paul_And_/status/467590651170029568
Time for many more woke up and smelt the coffee; especially so in Hull and the wider Humber area!!
https://twitter.com/_Paul_And_/status/467590651170029568

For the past 30 years I have voted Labour, this time I voted UKIP. How can you say that I only understand simplistic policies. YOU HAVE JUST LOST MY VOTE FOREVER. Hope that's simplistic enough for you.

Mr Inglis and fellow Hull politicians of the same view, you really don't get it do you, the people have voted for UKIP so that you take notice and do something about the EU. We are not stupid we realise that some good things have come about through the EU, however enough is enough they cannot keep coming up with new policies that cost vast amounts of money and demand it from Countries that are struggling to balance their books. The whole of Europe is suffering yet they still demand a massive increase in their budget, surely the EU should have looked to reduce its budget to assist its members recovery and in doing so it would have allowed them to reduce their own budget cuts. The immigration policy needs reform, fine let people have the freedom to apply for a job in any EU country, however they should only be allowed to move to that country if they have a job to come to that will support their family, or if they can support themselves and not be a burden on that country's tax payers then no problem let them move there. If you still don't believe the people of the UK then just look at France and Greece yet more voters telling their respective governments to wake up and smell the roses, we the general public have had enough and that means voting for a party with some very radical policies to make you aware of it. If you can't take notice of what the people want then don't act surprised when the General Election takes place and they vote for any other party that is trying to reform or get out of the EU.

yet another typical mainstream political party attitude, don't the bigger parties now realise people want out of the EU ? no, and its obvious from colin inglis's rant that they don't intend to listen to the people either, these people are supposed to run the country for the people yet they never really do, the obtain power by promising this and that then do a u turn on some of the promises they made, its about time the law was changed to make them follow through on their election promises, as it is now they have a free reign on the election lies with no come backs what so ever